


The Little Lighter Girl

by SugarsweetRomantic



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Hans Christian Andersen - Freeform, The Little Match Girl - Freeform, christmas 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21933814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugarsweetRomantic/pseuds/SugarsweetRomantic
Summary: A young girl, alone in the city on Christmas Eve.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 4





	The Little Lighter Girl

It's cold, so cold. A young girl moves through the city streets, staying close to the facades of the large buildings. She's pulled her coat tightly around her thin body, protection from the temperature. She approaches a businessman.

"Some change, Sir?" He brushes her off and moves past her. She sighs deeply and looks to her left. Maybe the street vendor will spare her something to eat.

"Ma'am?" The woman looks her way, but as she does, a policeman rounds the corner. He's warned her before that she can't be here. If she gets into trouble, her father will kill her tonight. Shaking her head at the vendor, she pushes past pedestrians until she's in a back alleyway. Safety, at least somewhat.

Brushing snow off of some steps, the girl sits down on the stone. She reaches into her pockets and examines today's revenue: 50 cents, a half-empty bottle of water, and a lighter. The sun is already setting. If she doesn't get more money, she won't even be able to afford the ticket home, and it's much too cold to walk. Lifting the lighter up to her face, she presses down. Staring into the flame, she sees figures appear. There's a happy family, a man and his wife and their little girl. They're visible through a window. They're singing and laughing and opening presents. 

A gust of wind blows through the alley, and the flame goes out. The woman and the girl vanish first, leaving only the man in her vision. Huffing, the girl on the steps triggers the mechanism again and again, until, finally, a new flame appears. She holds it so close to her face that the ice crystals on her eyebrows and eyelashes begin to melt. This time, it's not a traditional family she sees, but a family nonetheless. Friends sit together on couches in front of a television, drinking hot chocolate and watching black and white movies. A woman hands the others scarves she's knitted, and it's all so warm, so nice. If the girl imagines hard enough, she can almost feel the wool against her skin.

In her fantasy, her grip loosens, and she drops the lighter into the snow. 

No matter what she tries, it won't produce another flame. The police officer is standing at the way out. She's trapped.

As she exits a building to throw away some trash in the dumpster out back, a young woman notices a small figure curled up on the ground. Approaching it carefully, she gasps as she realises it's a child. Though her body seems cold as ice, the girl's forehead is burning up.

"Oh, sweetheart," the woman whispers, dropping the trash bag and gathering the child into her arms. "What's your name?" she asks as she begins to carry the hypothermic girl inside. 

The child just barely manages to respond.

"Em… Emma."

"Hi Emma," the woman soothes, "we're going to get you somewhere warm and safe right now." Closing the door behind her, she adds: "My name is Carol. Welcome to Rittenhouse."

**Author's Note:**

> Is this a strange time to say happy holidays? Probably. Who cares? Happy holidays to you and yours!


End file.
